"Danny." Alex let out an exasperated sigh. "It will be fun." She tiptoed up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, the band is warming up." Madison pointed to the group that was in the front portion of the gym.
"Looks like they should be getting ready for bed. Kinda late for people their age to be out partying." Danny had to get one last snide comment in before he got shot another evil glare from the girls.
One...two...three. Yep, there it was. All three girls looked at him like he'd just announced Ben & Jerry's went out of business. A look of total devastation and despair.
"We think older guys are hot, right girls?" Madison questioned Emily and Alex, who both nodded in unison. All three girls moved toward the stage, swaying their hips to the rhythm of the music.
Danny and Zach both let out a low growl as their wolves got a little pissed at their mates' suggestive moves and agreement with Madison's comment.
There was a thunderous roar of excitement near the entrance as soon as the crew reached the front of the gym where the band was. They all turned around and saw the football team and cheer squad had made their grand entrance.
"All hail the king has arrived." Madison rolled her eyes at the attention Jacob and his entourage received.
The deafening sound of guitar-playing through the oversized amps halted the excitement from the local celebrity's arrival.
The lead singer grabbed the microphone. "You guys ready to party tonight?" he screamed in a booming voice. The crowd erupted into a roaring frenzy. "We are going to kick your ass tonight with some good old ROCK AND ROLL."The band started to play 'Nothing but a Good Time,' by Poison.
The girls began dancing. Zach and Danny stood around like they had no clue what to do. Danny tapped Zach on the shoulder and nodded over toward an opening on the sidewall where some of the other guys were hanging out.
Knowing they couldn't hear because of the band's loudness, Zach placed his hand on Emily's back and pointed over to where Danny was walking towards. She nodded and continued to dance with Alex and Madison.
It was a good spot they picked out to watch the girls. They weren't right in front of the speakers, and they could keep an eye on the girls in case anyone tried to mess with them. A few moments later, Jacob and his whole group showed up.
"Where're your girls?" Jacob questioned Danny and Zach as he scouted the room looking for them.
Zach pointed over toward the front of the stage where Emily and the other two were dancing around, obviously having a good time.
Jacob locked in on Madison. She was dancing rather seductively and focused her attention on the lead singer. He felt his wolf stir inside of him as a sense of possessiveness washed over him. "You guys left them by themselves with everything going on?" He knew he was making more out of the moment than it was, but he didn't like the way Madison was showing attention to another guy. "We don't know who or where the offspring is or anything else involved with Orfeo. I'm just saying you all need to be careful."
Danny rolled his eyes but started walking back over to where they'd left the girls. Zach followed, but with hesitation about having to dance.
"Jacob, can't we go dance?" Brindle whined behind him.
He had totally forgotten about them following once Madison had caught his attention. Will and Anthony, along with Brindle's followers, were standing right behind him, waiting for some sort of response. He let out a deep sigh and pulled Brindle by her wrist in the direction Danny and Zach had gone.
"I don't wanna dance with them." Brindle tugged Jacob back by his arm. He gave her a little yank and continued over by Zach.
***
Madison was surprised to see Jacob had followed his brother over to their group. Of course, he had Brindle and the rest of his admirers following him, but she could at least watch him.
He was moving around with Brindle in suggestive movements that signaled what may be going on later. It was a wonder none of the chaperones weren't stopping this type of behavior. Madison shook her head. Why the hell was she worried about what Jacob was doing? It seemed everyone was dancing with someone in their group like Jacob was with Brindle. Guess it fit the title of the song the band had broken into playing, another Poison song, 'Talk Dirty to Me.' Madison turned her attention back toward the band and tried to block out what everyone else was doing and the fact she felt really alone right now.
***
The group danced together until the band decided to take a ten-minute break. Zach took Emily by the hand and led her over to where they had the refreshments set out.
"Having fun?" he asked as he handed her a cup of the fruit punch one of the chaperones was distributing.
Emily took a big drink and nodded yes to Zach's question, which earned a big smile from him. She was having a fantastic time with everyone. Well, one boy in particular. His eyes never left her, like he was totally mesmerized by her presence. She felt the same way about him. It was such a natural feeling of always wanting to watch, be beside, or touch the other in any sort of way.
"How about you?" she questioned him after she got down the last swallow of punch.
He nodded in agreement and was about to say something when the band broke out into another song. This time it was by the girl singer.
Madison grabbed Emily's hand and pulled her to the dance floor. All three girls turned and started singing to the guys the words of 'I Hate Myself for Loving You' by Joan Jett.
Madison continued to sing and watched as Brindle, Heather, and Rachel walked away, but Jacob didn't seem to follow.
Will and Anthony waited a few seconds, then followed after the girls. Jacob stayed beside Zach and Danny, enjoying the show Madison, Alex, and Emily were putting on for them.
It was about halfway through the song when the guys made their way over to the girls, who were still dancing quite provocatively. Danny got right beside Alex as Zach did the same with Emily. But Jacob made no attempt to go near Madison.
The girls continued to sing along with the singer and direct each word to the guys beside them. A roar of applause went off when the singer sang the final words.
Alex and Emily looked sheepishly at Danny and Zach because of the sensual dance they performed. Both guys stood there open-mouthed from what they had witnessed from their seemingly quiet, timid little mates.
On the other hand, Madison glared at Jacob for some unknown reason as he was doing the same back to her. It was like both of these two had a death wish in place for one another.
"Okay, we're going to slow it down a little. Maybe we can all recover from the little performance we had going on in the back." The male lead singer took over the mic and looked down at Madison, Alex, and Emily. He pointed directly at them. "Time to tame it down, girls."
The band started their rendition of 'Every Rose has its Thorn' by the rock band Poison. Without any hesitation, Danny grabbed Alex and Zach did the same to Emily. They pulled them close for the slow dance.
Madison was pushed from behind when people started crowding the dance floor, and she stumbled into Jacob. He gripped her upper arms so she wouldn't fall over and held her close to him.
"Ah, c'mon, Jake, it's only one dance," Danny yelled over as he danced with Alex.
Jacob let out a deep sigh, then pulled Madison even closer. He started to sway with her in his arms. She felt stiff at first like she didn't know what to do, but she began to loosen up after about fifteen seconds.
"This is the only time this will ever happen." He tried to sound like he was annoyed with the fact he had to dance with her because of Zach and Danny being there. But in all reality, he was just as excited as his wolf.
"Won't your girlfriend, booty call, fuck buddy, or whatever you want to call her mind you're dancing with me?" Madison's eyes concentrated on someone behind Jacob's back.
Jacob turned his head slightly so he could see who or what Madison was referencing. He saw Brindle standing to the side, watching them with an expression of a seriously pissed-off woman across her face. He
stared at her but made no move in her direction.
After about five seconds, she let out an audible screech of frustration, stomped her foot, then swiftly walked away.
"I don't have a girlfriend. We just hang out." He turned once more toward Madison and continued the dance.
Madison blew a snorted laugh through her nose. "I guess someone forgot to inform her."
Jacob shrugged one shoulder and continued to dance.
***
The song sounded like it was coming to a close. Madison took a deep breath and was hypnotized by the smell of his body and how it made her feel. She had to ask one question to which she felt a burning need for an answer. Madison slowly leaned back so she could look at Jacob directly. Swallowing the thick lump forming in her throat, she softly spoke out the words of her simple question.
"Why do you hate me so much?"
Jacob appeared shocked she thought he hated her. "I never said I hated you."
Madison could see a change happening right before her eyes. Maybe it had to do something with being an enchantress or the extraordinary powers she had, but she could see a difference in Jacob's eyes as he stared back at her. They were the same eyes which had gazed upon her the day in the meadow, the eyes of the wolf.
She couldn't think of any response to his comment to her question. She was totally mesmerized by the feelings he was making her experience, love, hate, desire, compassion, and anger all rolled into one.
The more Jacob continued to have locked eyes with her, the more he could feel himself giving in to what his wolf wanted. Even without being forced, his head lowered down to Madison, with his gaze shifting from her eyes to her lips. He felt her tremble as his lips carefully touched hers. At first, it seemed she didn't want to respond, but the resistance gave away as soon as he put a little more force behind the kiss.
Madison was in shock and instant lust as soon as Jacob placed his mouth on hers. After three seconds of being utterly surprised by his action and her looking like she had no clue about how to kiss, the hunger of wanting more from him won her over as she responded passionately to the instance he initiated.
His tongue gracefully caressed her lips, begging for entrance, which she willingly obliged without a second thought. Their hands began to explore each other's bodies as he moved further down her back. She felt the muscled outline of his chest and stomach. Their seduction dance continued until they heard the last guitar chord strung and a more upbeat song begun.
The music's change was enough for Jacob to gain control of what he was feeling and how his wolf wanted everything to be. Whatever was going on between them could never happen again. He rudely pushed her off and stepped back. He noticed Zach and the rest of the group had seen what happened and stood there with shell-shocked expressions on their faces.
He finally got a hold of his composure, cracked his neck, and sneered at Madison. "There, now I can tell my coach I completed the extra volunteer time for the needy he wanted from me."
Madison watched as the eyes of her wolf disappeared and the evil, hateful Jacob replaced him. She felt everyone's stare on the two of them and knew they were waiting for a rebuttal answer from her, which she didn't have at the given moment.
Jacob continued to stare her down with a scorned expression but then let out an exaggerated sigh and pounded his fists together in frustration. It was almost as if he was fighting within himself over what happened. He quickly turned and walked straight to the front door without acknowledging anyone he passed.
Madison slowly turned around and found gawking expressions on her friends' faces.
"What the hell just happened?" Alex's voice reached over the sound of the band playing their next song.
Madison shrugged. She had no explanation or reasoning to give them. All she knew is she had to search for Jacob and find out the answer to the question Alex just asked her. She quickly turned the way Jacob had gone and ignored Alex's questions, the dirty stares she was receiving from kids she bumped into on her way to get out of the room, and the killer looks she received as she passed Brindle and her cronies.
As soon as Madison made it out to the sidewalk, she could see Jacob walking at a hurried pace farther down by the parking lot.
"Jacob," she yelled out, hoping he would stop. She had no clue what she was going to say to him, but something deep inside of her said there was more to this whole charade he put on than what he let others believe.
Jacob heard her voice ring out in the dead silence of the night. All he wanted was to go home or maybe shift and run away from it all. His wolf willed him to stop, but he didn't turn back around. At least he still had that much control left. If he didn't face her, he could save himself the aggravation of dealing with one ticked-off and hurt woman. Shit, he would have to deal with Brindle on those accounts, too, as he knew she saw what happened.
Madison walked closer to him and hoped he wouldn't take off running away again. "Um." She had no clue what to say to him. Usually, she'd have no difficulty spewing her mouth over something he'd done or said, but now there wasn't a sensible thought coming across her mind. "I think Brindle was looking for you." She mentally slapped herself in the head for even saying such a stupid thing.
Jacob softly chuckled. "You came down here to tell me that?" He still hadn't turned around. He knew if he did, his wolf would somehow gain control, and he would probably melt into her arms once again. "I'm outta here. You need to go back to Alex and those guys."
"Why can't you even turn around to look at me?" Madison was getting a little pissed at the whole ignoring act he was putting on. "There's something up with you, Jacob. I saw something in your eyes tonight I'd only seen once before." She was referring to the wolf that comforted her the day in the field. "Are you saying you didn't feel anything with the kiss?"
"Just nauseated." Jacob heard her suck in a breath after he snidely commented back to her. He felt terrible saying that, but he had to get her somehow away from him. The wolf inside was howling in protest, but he needed her to leave so he could control his feelings. This wasn't supposed to be. There was no way they could ever be mates.
"You know what? Game over, you win, Jacob." Madison tried to control her anger, hurt, and the rest of the other mixed-up emotions she was feeling about this self-centered prick standing in front of her. "You stay away from me, and I'll stay away from you. Don't talk to me, don't look at me...just...stay away."
Jacob heard the disappointment in her voice. Her footsteps were getting farther away, so he knew she was walking back to the school. He wanted to run to her, but he knew that would be the biggest mistake he could make. He turned around and saw she was nearing the school. "Madison." She stopped but didn't turn around. He couldn't say he was sorry. He did everything so she wouldn't get involved in all the mess of his family. "Don't be mad."
Madison swung around and stared at him from the entrance of the school. She looked so small being that far away, like she wouldn't be able to fight off anyone or anything if they tried to attack her. "If that was an apology, it was a sorry ass one. It's too late. Way too late for that, Jacob." She turned around once more and walked into the school.
Jacob was as angry as his wolf now. Once it got to that point, it was so hard to control the shift. He glanced around to make sure no one else was near, then bolted as fast as he could to the line of trees surrounding the school's perimeter. He ripped off his clothes as fast as he could, let his wolf overtake him, and then ran into the deep dark surroundings in front of him.
***
Madison made it back to the dance but didn't feel the same enthusiasm as when she first arrived. She couldn't believe all that had happened between them. Not much went on, but still, he kissed her, she kissed him, and there was a pull to him that she couldn't deny.
"Hey, where'd you go?" Alex snuck up behind Madison, who was in deep thought.
Madison jumped. "I. Uh. I had to get out of here for a little bit. I needed some air." She didn't want to go into the whole explanation of what o
ccurred after she and Jacob left the school.
"After that little escapade on the dance floor with Jacob, yep, you definitely needed some fresh air." Alex had a smug little grin on her face.
"That was nothing. It shouldn't have happened, and it will never happen again." Madison went over to the table where they had laid their purses and grabbed hers off the pile. A chaperone started to come toward them, but she held up her car keys. "It's mine. I'm leaving."
"Where's my brother?" Zach joined Madison and Alex at the table. Emily was right behind him, questioning Madison with her eyes if she was all right.
Madison nodded to Emily she was all right, then turned to answer Zach's question. "I don't know where he went. He was gone when I went out there. Would you be able to give Danny and Alex a ride home after the dance? I'm not feeling good right now."
Zach tilted his head like he was expecting more of an explanation or reason why she was leaving.
Madison didn't have one to give. She looked down at the floor and hoped he wouldn't question her anymore.
"Yeah, no problem." Zach finally gave his response after a fifteen-second delay.
"Cool, thanks. I'll see you all tomorrow or something." Madison couldn't get out of there quick enough. She had to get away, get her head cleared, and try to forget about the damn kiss.
***
"So, what's up with Madison?" Danny was so out of the loop of what was going on.
"My dumb ass brother is what's wrong with her." Zach was going to get to the bottom of this. Jacob had been acting more bizarre than usual, and it mainly happened when Madison was around. "Let's go enjoy the rest of the dance." He took hold of Emily's hand and motioned for Danny to follow him out to the dance floor.
The four of them danced until the band played their final song.
"Thank you for an awesome night, West Lakes." The lead singer did his final goodbye spew as the lights came back on, and the chaperones started to round up the crowd and herd them toward the exit.
"So, we all heading home or after-party?" Danny questioned the group as they walked toward Zach's car.
Revelations (Separate Worlds Book 1) Page 8
